Rig Veda 2.27.12: Mandala 2, Sukta 27, Mantra 12
Sukta 2.27
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Ādityas / upholders of ṛta
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
यो राजभ्य ऋतनिभ्यो ददाश यं वर्धयन्ति पुष्टयश्च नित्याः । स रेवान्याति प्रथमो रथेन वसुदावा विदथेषु प्रशस्तः ॥
yó rājábhya ṛta-níbhyo dadā́śa yáṃ vardháyanti puṣṭáyaś ca nítyāḥ | sá revā́n yā́ti prathamó ráthena vasu-dā́vā vidátheṣu pra-śastáḥ ||
ผู้ใดถวายทานแก่ผู้ทรงอำนาจผู้ค้ำจุน ṛta (ระเบียบอันเที่ยงธรรมแห่งจักรวาล) ผู้ซึ่งความอุดมสมบูรณ์อันมั่นคงเกื้อหนุนให้เจริญ—ผู้นั้นย่อมไปก่อนด้วยราชรถ เป็นผู้มั่งคั่งด้วยความรุ่งเรืองอันส่องสว่าง เป็นผู้ให้ทรัพย์อันดี และได้รับสรรเสริญในสภาพิธีทั้งหลาย (vidatha)
Word by Word
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- राजभ्यः
- to the kings/rulersNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot राजन्-
- ऋतनिभ्यः
- to those akin to ṛta (truth/order)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot ऋतनिभ- (ऋत + निभ ‘like/akin to’)
- ददाश
- has given / bestowedVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot दा (दाने)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्धयन्ति
- they increase / make growVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot वृध् (वर्धने)
- पुष्टयः
- nourishments, prosperitiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पुष्टि-
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययम्Root च
- नित्याः
- everlasting, constantAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (पुष्टयः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot नित्य-
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रेवान्
- wealthy, splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot रेवत्-
- आयाति
- comes, arrivesVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot या (गत्यर्थे) + आ-
- प्रथमः
- firstAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot प्रथम-
- रथेन
- with a chariotNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot रथ-
- वसुदावाः
- giver of wealthAdjective (agentive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot वसुदावन्- (वसु + दावन् ‘giver’)
- विदथेषु
- in the assemblies/ritual gatheringsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot विदथ-
- प्रशस्तः
- praised, celebratedAdjective (past participle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot प्र-शंस् (स्तुतौ) → प्रशस्त- (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): यो | राजभ्यः | ऋतनिभ्यः | ददाश | यम् | वर्धयन्ति | पुष्टयः | च | नित्याः | सः | रेवान् | आयाति | प्रथमः | रथेन | वसुदावाः | विदथेषु | प्रशस्तः । विशेषम्: (1) ‘पुष्टयश्च’ = ‘पुष्टयः + च’ (विसर्ग-लोपः, चकारे परे)। (2) ‘रे॒वान्या॑ति’ पाठे ‘रेवान् + आयाति’ इति पदसीमा
- नकारान्तस्य ‘रेवान्’ इत्यस्य ‘आ’ इत्यादौ संयोगे बाह्यसन्धिः (न् + आ → न् आ) लेखने ‘न्या’ इव दृश्यते। (3) ‘ऋतनिभ्यः’ बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समासः: ऋत-निभ ‘ऋतसदृश’ इति।
The meaning
Outer meaning
He who gives (offers) to the kingly upholders of ṛta, and whom constant prosperities foster, goes first in the chariot—rich, a giver of good, praised in the assemblies.
Inner meaning
The seeker who offers his energies and works to the ‘kingly’ powers that establish ṛta (the luminous law of right-being) is inwardly increased by steady growth-forces (puṣṭi). Such a person moves ‘first’—the will and mind become swift and leading (ratha), carrying the soul ahead of confusion. ‘Wealth’ becomes inner riches: light, clarity, right discernment, and the capacity to pour out helpful force to others.
Universal truth
When life is aligned to truth and offered to the higher law, growth becomes constant rather than accidental; the consciousness gains precedence over circumstance, and one becomes a channel of beneficent abundance in the collective life.
Themes
Gift and return, Prosperity as inner growth, Ṛta-alignment
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditionally connected with the Bhṛgu line)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.1, RV 2.23, RV 2.27, RV 2.28
Family tradition
Gṛtsamada hymns often emphasize alignment with ṛta through the Ādityas—truth, wideness, protection, and the right leading of life.
Significance
As a seer of ordered illumination, Gṛtsamada voices the psychology of consecration: giving the human movement to truth-powers so that the inner governance becomes sovereign and life grows in steady plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Ādityas (implicitly the kingly upholders of ṛta)
- Epithets
- ṛtanibhaḥ (upholders of ṛta), rājānaḥ (kingly powers), praśasta (worthy of praise/that which is praised in assembly)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman, Bhaga, Aṃśa, Indra
Cosmic role
Guardians of cosmic order (ṛta), social and moral harmony, and the straight path of law in the worlds.
Inner power
Truth-governance in consciousness: the capacity to align thought, will, and action with an impersonal rightness that brings stable increase.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āditya-related praises within Soma or general śrauta recitation sequences (contextual)
यो राज॑भ्य ऋत॒निभ्यो॑ द॒दाश॒ यं व॒र्धय॑न्ति पु॒ष्टय॑श्च॒ नित्या॑: । स रे॒वान्या॑ति प्रथ॒मो रथे॑न वसु॒दावा॑ वि॒दथे॑षु प्रश॒स्तः ॥
यः । राज॑ऽभ्यः । ऋ॒त॒निऽभ्यः॑ । द॒दाश॑ । यम् । व॒र्धय॑न्ति । पु॒ष्टयः॑ । च॒ । नित्याः॑ । सः । रे॒वान् । या॒ति॒ । प्र॒थ॒मः । रथे॑न । व॒सु॒ऽदावा॑ । वि॒दथे॑षु । प्र॒ऽश॒स्तः ॥
yaḥ | rāja-bhyaḥ | ṛtani-bhyaḥ | dadāśa | yam | vardhayanti | puṣṭayaḥ | ca | n ityāḥ | saḥ | revān | yāti | prathamaḥ | rathena | vasu-dāvā | vidatheṣu | pra-śastaḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, declarative, suited to ethical-spiritual proclamation
Builds a sense of confident movement and ‘leading’ force; supports resolve to consecrate action and abide by truth-law.
- राजभ्यः (rājabhyaḥ)
- Literal: to/for the kings, kingly ones. Symbolic: to the governing luminous powers in the being—inner sovereign principles that rule by truth (often the Ādityas)
- ऋतनिभ्यः (ṛtanibhyaḥ)
- Literal: to the upholders/establishers of ṛta. Symbolic: powers that fix right order in mind-life-body; guardians of truth-law in consciousness
- ददाश (dadāśa)
- Literal: has given, has offered. Symbolic: consecration of works/energies; self-offering of the lower nature to the higher
- पुष्टयः (puṣṭayaḥ)
- Literal: prosperities, nourishments. Symbolic: growth-forces: increase of clarity, strength, harmony, and inner resources
- नित्याः (nityāḥ)
- Literal: constant, perpetual. Symbolic: stable, repeatable spiritual gain (not mood-dependent)
- रथेन (rathena)
- Literal: by/with the chariot. Symbolic: the joined instrument of will-mind-vital that carries the soul’s movement forward
- रेवान् (revān)
- Literal: rich, splendid. Symbolic: filled with luminous plenty—inner wealth of light and force
- वसुदावा (vasudāvā)
- Literal: giver of goods/wealth. Symbolic: one who distributes helpful energies, truths, and supports in the inner/outer collective
Dāna-stuti (praise of giving) integrated into Āditya hymn: affirms reciprocity—offering to ṛta-powers yields inner puṣṭi and victorious progress.
When invoking guardianship of ṛta, prosperity, and right leadership in communal rites
Offering/recitation to establish harmony, protection, and increase
Use as a daily sankalpa-mantra for consecrating work: ‘May my actions be given to truth-governance; may steady growth lead me first.’
dadā́śa: perfect of √dā ‘give’ (PIE *deh₃- ‘give’). ṛta-níbhyaḥ: ṛta + ni (down/into) + bha/bhā?; traditional reading as ‘those established in ṛta’—the firm-set powers of order. puṣṭí: from √puṣ ‘thrive, prosper, nourish’ → inner increase. revān: from rayi/rev ‘wealth, brilliance’—here spiritual plenty/abundance of being. rátha: chariot as symbol of disciplined movement of forces (yoked energies). vasu-dā́vā: vasu ‘good, excellent substance’ + √dā ‘give’: one who distributes essential riches (not mere material).
Reciprocity (yajña as exchange with cosmic powers), Puṣṭi (growth) as consequence of alignment with ṛta, Rayi/Revas (plenitude) as spiritual abundance
Direct: giving to ṛta-upholders yields precedence and plenitude.
Truth as governance—what is given to truth returns as luminous wealth.
Sustaining creation through right order and reciprocal offering (yajña as cosmic exchange)
Proto-Vedāntic and integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): yajña as inner sacrifice and ascent.
The ‘chariot’ is the psycho-physical instrument harnessed to truth; ‘vasu’ is inner luminosity and capacities that arise from alignment with solar law (ṛta).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The yajña-reciprocity mythologem: giving to the sovereign powers of ṛta results in being ‘carried first’—a victorious precedence in life’s journey—supported by perennial growth-forces (puṣṭayaḥ).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dā ‘give’ is PIE *deh₃-; √puṣ ‘thrive’ has Indo-Iranian continuations emphasizing prosperity; rátha as a key IE heroic register item (vehicle of the warrior/hero) marks shared poetic technology of progress and victory.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi articulates the law of exchange: the human offers (dāna/yajña) to ṛta-powers; the devata respond by increasing inner prosperities and granting forward movement. It is a pedagogy of alignment rather than bargaining for goods.
Consecration of action to truth-governance; cultivating steady inner increase (puṣṭi)
Manipura (will/leadership) and Ajna (truth-guided discernment)
Moderate, even inhalation/exhalation; silent pause after each pāda to ‘offer’ the breath upward
Collected, upright, forward-moving (aspirational)
Before work: recite once or 3 times; feel your ‘inner kingly powers’ governing thought and action; offer the day’s energies to ṛta and watch for steady, non-dramatic growth.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā tradition; maintain clear udātta peaks on key verbs/nouns (e.g., dádāśa, vardháyanti, prathamó).
Keep pāda breaks clean; slightly lift pitch on udātta syllables, allow svarita to fall-glide; avoid modern melodic singing.
ṛ in ṛta as a crisp vocalic ‘r’ (not ri), Keep retroflex ṭ/ḍ in vidatheṣu, praśastaḥ, Avoid swallowing final visarga/ḥ in praśastaḥ; keep it light but audible
Clear, steady, ‘regal’—neither breathy nor forceful
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